Volunteer at the Karoo Wildlife Centre

IMPORTANT NOTICE:​We are now able to offer a three night stay which includes a course on animal advocacy, incorporating it into an enjoyable stay at our wildlife sanctuary which is set in one of the most beautiful natural surroundings. Take four minutes to look at this excellent promo video which has some lovely drone footage.https://youtu.be/CBA3_sIN2Ls

Wildlife advocacy course for Volunteers

We get upset when we read about the cruelty of the hunting industry, and we struggle to understand how anyone can derive pleasure from inflicting suffering and death on helpless animals. We’re willing to help, but we don’t really know how. There don’t seem to be any training programmes for those of us who are itching to do something positive to protect animals from hunters. But we feel hamstrung - what to do?

Most people believe that by commenting and sharing on social media, by signing petitions, and by attending protest marches that they will eventually succeed in getting conservation authorities to ban canned lion hunting. They won’t.

Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH for short) - is kicking off 2019 by introducing a 3-night stay including a real-time course on animal advocacy at its Karoo Wildlife Centre near Ladismith, a four-hour drive from Cape Town.

"The hunting industry is always ahead of the game, because it works unceasingly at a policy level with law makers to promote the narrative that hunting is conservation,” says Chris Mercer, Director and founder of CACH. "This, while we anti-canned hunting supporters march around town with placards to a vaguely curious audience. Online petitions are ineffective. It’s clear that animal advocates need to be better informed, better trained and more strategic.”

Chris will deliver daily talks on the subjects listed below. The course is designed to empower animal advocates to engage knowledgeably and convincingly in the great debate on whether hunting is conservation; to rebut the arguments of pro-hunting propaganda and to work effectively to bring an end to trophy hunting.

Mercer, a retired lawyer and founder of the Campaign Against Canned Hunting (CACH), has used his legal experience to campaign against the highly unethical practice of canned lion hunting since the practice hit the headlines 20 years ago on ITV’s acclaimed The Cook Report.

Content for animal advocacy course

Overview of the hunting industry, how it works in South Africa, how why and when lion farming for canned lion hunting began.

State capture - how the hunting industry controls conservation structures in South Africa.

The importance of raising awareness of canned hunting and its spin-offs, including cub petting and the lion bone trade.

Why raising awareness is not enough in itself.

The need to rise to the policy level in order to secure a ban.

Strategies that work and those that don’t.

Why international organisations like CITES are worse than useless. Comfortable accommodation and all meals will be provided. See details below.

Course participants will have plenty of leisure time to roam over the sanctuary’s 250 hectares of fynbos wilderness. They may hike through the surrounding hills, star-gaze the Karoo sky, receive instruction from Lesley on horse communication, and help with sanctuary tasks. https://www.facebook.com/karoowildlife/

Ladismith town is a twenty minute drive away, and has all facilities; chemist, shops, supermarket, restaurants, doctors and hospital. ​ For more information contact Chris at info@cannedlion.org.